In an attempt to refresh the England attack with a second spinner, the selectors must now make a straight choice on form between Phil Tufnell, a proven Test match-winner on helpful pitches, and Warwickshire's Ashley Giles: both have championship matches this weekend.
Graveney was convinced that Salisbury, bowling exceptionally well for Surrey until he tore a muscle in his groin at Leicester two weeks ago, was a potential match-winner at Old Trafford where there is invariably some help for wrist spinners especially. Shane Warne effectively turned last year's series Australia's way with his spell of three wickets for one run in 26 balls on the ground.
That collapse, and the way in which England let their opponents off the hook in the field in the same match, were painfully reflected against South Africa at Lord's.
As Graveney gloomily calculated yesterday, England have now lost seven of their 13 Tests since he became chairman in March last year.
``It's bitterly disappointing; a very heavy rate of defeats,'' he said. ``Especially as the game had so many familiar traits. We can't seem to find a group of bowlers to bowl well together, especially when we have a side on the run.
``South Africa were in trouble at 46 for four and a total of 360 was far better than par for the conditions. A bowler like Derek Underwood or Glenn McGrath will bowl a side out in helpful conditions every time.
``It was a blow to lose Mike Atherton early in the second innings but Shaun Pollock bowled superbly. I thought Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain batted exceptionally well on Sunday but in a very short space of time it went wrong.''
Graveney is leaving the ICC referee, Javed Burki, to remind the two captains of their responsibility to play within the spirit of the game (Law 42).
Hansie Cronje, impressive ambassador as he is for cricket and his country, has never needed much reminding but Alec Stewart unfortunately does, judging from the way that he walked off after being given out on Sunday.
So much is admirable about the way in which Stewart plays his cricket and conducts himself but everyone watching on television would have known from the slow-motion replay that there was a strong possibility that the umpire, needing to make a judgment of millimetres in an instant, had given the England captain out erroneously.
How much the more admirable would they then have felt Stewart to be if he had given no public hint of his understandable disappointment? Graveney would be doing him a favour by cracking the whip now.
Mark Ramprakash, suitably chastised for muttering within the umpire's hearing, will certainly be in the team for the third Test, but the chairman says that he will speak generally to all the players next week. ``I will remind them of their responsibility as role models for the young,'' he said.
No doubt he will also remind them that they stand to share a £200,000 win bonus - jointly raised by Cornhill, Vodafone and the ECB - if they win the series.